La Liga: Girona’s Golden Opportunity to Take Solo Lead

Almeria vs Girona

Two clubs on opposite sides of the La Liga table are slated to go head-to-head as Almeria host Girona at the Power Horse Stadium this Saturday.

As suggested in the title, Girona are at the top of the standings with 48 points but are currently level with Real Madrid.

However, should they take care of business this weekend, they will hold the solo top spot at least for a few days since Los Blancos are busy with their Cup matches against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and Atletico Madrid (again) in the Copa del Rey before they return to league action.

In stark contrast, Almeria are at the bottom of the table with only five points. They have yet to win a single game this season, and the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds predict that such a trend will continue this weekend.

Talking Points

Almeria’s should now boost the value of their starlets

Unfortunately for Almeria, they’ll likely head back to the Segunda Division after two seasons in La Liga, so now may be the perfect time to showcase their young talents by giving them more playing time, and maybe they can cash in on them in the near future.

The two youngsters that come to mind are Sergio Arribas and Largie Ramazani, as they have combined for seven goals and five assists in the Spanish top-flight this term.

Arribas primarily operates in the No. 10 role for Almeria. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder moved from Real Madrid last summer, and Almeria have reportedly valued him at least €10 million.

Bayer Leverkusen are keen on Arribas, if reports are to be believed. Xabi Alonso has worked with Arribas before in Real Madrid’s youth academy, and they apparently have him as their insurance plan just in case Florian Wirtz leaves Die Werkself this summer.

As for Ramazani, the former Manchester United forward may land himself a transfer soon, with Lille and Lyon reportedly keen on getting his signature. He is currently valued at €6 million on the market.

Girona suffer huge defencive blow

Girona will have to win this game via shootout, just like against Atletico Madrid, since their backline depth has been compromised following the La Liga 2024 news that David Lopez was given a four-match ban by the league.

Lopez, a key figure in the heart of Girona’s defence this year, is suspended after lambasting a referee for “rude and insulting behaviour” during their reverse fixture against, you guessed it, Almeria.

So, besides the Almeria game, the 34-year-old centre-back is also not available against Sevilla, Celta Vigo, and Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey. It doesn’t help them either that Eric Garcia, on loan from Barcelona, is also absent due to a leg injury.

The good news for Girona, though, is that their frontline is hardly their problem, with Artem Dovbyk (11 goals, five assists), Cristhian Stuani (six goals, two assists), Savio (five goals, five assists), and Ivan Martin (four goals, one assist) firing on all cylinders.

History

Almeria and Girona have already faced off earlier this season in October, as the latter won 5-2 at the Montilivi Stadium. Ivan Martin, Artem Dovbyk (brace), Savio, and Cristhian Stuani scored for Girona, while Leo Baptistao recorded a brace for Almeria.

Saturday marks the fourth La Liga meeting between these two sides, with each team winning their home games (one for Almeria and two for Girona).

All signs point to another high-scoring affair since there have been 20 goals scored in the previous three league matches between Almeria (7) and Girona (13). At 6.7 goals per contest, this is the highest goal average of any fixture in La Liga history so far (minimum three games played).

Almeria have yet to win a single La Liga match in 22 tries (D7, L15). Meanwhile, Girona have not lost any of their last nine away La Liga games (W7, D2).

Betting Tip

Almost, if not all, bets here in the La Liga 2024 odds are in favour of the visitors. In the 1X2 market, Girona are 1.66 favourites, while Almeria are 4.19 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.85 odds.

Their recent encounters have yielded high-scoring tiffs, so other than our recommended bet above, check out the likes of Over 3.25 at 2.09 and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.56.

Moreover, the First Half Correct Score of 3-2 in favour of Girona – the tally after the first half in their reverse fixture this season – has also caught our eye since it is being offered at a mouthwatering 165.00.

 

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